The sound of electrolytic capacitors failing


My system (all 20-30 year old high end gear) has started to have a sound problem. I'm hearing some breakup on peaks and a few Db shift to the right side in balance for the first hour or two of playing. At some point after that, everything suddenly snaps into a proper sound, usually in the middle of a song. I know the problem is either in my preamp or amp. Could it be one of the power supply caps breaking down? Any other ideas?
pprocter

Showing 3 responses by pprocter

That was a great suggestion,Thanks!
It’s in my amp, the power supply caps are US$190 per side. :-(

One question that remains unanswered: What changes in the sound when a power cap is failing? 
Thanks! I'm hearing distortion on high level transients, especially mid and high frequencies which disappears after about 1 hour of listening. I've been assuming it takes that long for the caps to recondition (or whatever the term is). Is there a way to measure if the caps are in spec?